A young ten-year-old boy was standing with a smile and an envelope in his hand when Lydia opened the front door, thinking it was the afternoon post.

“Good day, young man. What can I do for you?”

“Miss, Doctor Cooke bid me bring this to you. He asks if you might reply so I can return with an answer.”

“How would you like a ginger biscuit while you wait?”

“Oh, yes, Miss. That would be splendid.”

“Come in, then.”

Lydia ushered the boy into the sitting room and fetched a tin of ginger biscuits and offered him one.

“Thank you, Miss.”

Lydia opened the letter from the Doctor.

Lydia felt it was rude to accept verbally, so she wrote the acceptance note and held it out for the lad to take.

“Thank you, young man, and here’s a sixpence for you,” Lydia said, handing him the envelope and a coin.

He looked surprised. “Oh, that is not necessary, Miss,” he said. “The Doctor has already paid me.”

“Then let it be my treat and our little secret.”

The boy’s face lit up with a smile. “Thank you, Miss.” And he turned and ran down the front walkway.

Lydia busied herself the rest of the afternoon, anxiously awaiting her Aunt’s return, as she had promised Lydia an answer about riding with Ellen.

Lydia had been very pleased when her aunt had suggested but one prayer session a day would be required from here on out. Lydia could abide the six o’clock prayer and was delighted when Aunt chose to sleep in until six in the morning.

Aunt Lavinia’s suit from Doctor Winston had made a definite change in her attitude and outlook. Aunt had never discussed the Doctor ’s letter with her, so Lydia could not acknowledge that she knew about the Doctor’s suit. However, Lydia kept an eye open for a response from the Doctor to Lavinia’s letter. But there had been no reply as yet.

Lydia was in her room writing in her journal when Aunt Lavinia returned and called out to her. As Lydia came down the stairs, Aunt asked, “Was there any post for me today?”

“Not today,” Lydia said, as she saw the disappointment on her Aunt’s face. “But I did make an appointment with Doctor Cooke to walk with me Wednesday morning.”

Aunt sat down in a chair in the sitting room. She looked tired.

“I know it is just about time for evening prayers, but you look tired. Would you like a cup of tea before we pray?” Lydia asked.

“Yes, dear, that sounds wonderful. I do feel unusually fatigued this evening.”

“It will not take but a minute.” Lydia turned toward the kitchen.

“Oh, Lydia, I almost forgot. I have a letter for you from Miss Ellen.” She dug into her dress pocket and pulled out an envelope.

Lydia turned back and took it.

“And the Duchess is fine with you riding with Ellen. It seems The Duke insisted she acquiesce. I believe the letter will lay out the details.”

“I will get the tea, now,” Lydia said and went to the kitchen to prepare the tea and read the letter.

Lydia was thrilled, but it was a conflict with her arrangement to walk with Doctor Cooke. Bother.

Lydia completed making the tea and took it to her Aunt who had fallen asleep in the chair. She didn’t want to wake her so she placed the tea tray on the table next to the chair and went back to the kitchen to think about what she should do about this conflict in schedules.

Her first instinct was to change plans with Ellen because she had first made the obligation with Reginald. But thinking about it further, she realized that Ellen had made arrangements for lunch, the carriage, and had, undoubtedly, scheduled grooms to deal with the horses. No, she should reschedule with the Doctor, as it was a much less complicated arrangement, and they could easily arrange their walk for another time.

Lydia returned to the sitting room, and found her Aunt awake and drinking her tea. She seemed to be refreshed and more energetic.

“His Grace spoke to me today about an idea you had for a garden,” Aunt said. “What is that all about?”

Lydia explained her idea for a vegetable garden and Edwin’s offer to dig up the ground for them to get started.

Aunt did not seem to take well to the idea. “Isn’t it rather late in the season to be starting a garden? Summer is almost over.”

“I was thinking about for next spring,” Lydia answered.

“I don’t know. It seems like an awful lot of extra work and fuss. And I certainly have no interest in digging, weeding, and stooping for a few vegetables that we can get for mere pennies at the market.”

“But I enjoy it so, Aunt. And we can plant many delightful delicacies that are not available in the stalls.”

“Humph. Sounds like a lot of nonsense to me.”

“And I want to work on your fruit trees out back. They are greatly in need of pruning, and if properly tended to, will yield a great many more fruits. I can put them up by canning, and you will have wonderful fruit all through the winter.”

Aunt sighed. “I don’t know. Let me think about it. In any case, we won’t need to worry about it until the spring.”

“But to get the proper seeds I will need to send for seed catalogues and order in plenty of time for planting.”

“As I said, I will think about it,” She said gruffly. “Now, it is time for prayer.

“Yes, Aunt.” With her aunt in this mood it is a shame there was no letter from Doctor Winston today, Lydia thought to herself.

* * *

Lydia was in the back garden starting to prune the lower branches of the fruit trees, as high as she could reach without a ladder. Jenny appeared from around the side of the house.

“Lydia, what did your aunt say about riding with Ellen?” she asked.

“She gave me permission. It seems Edwin interceded on my behalf as he promised.”

“Did you doubt he would?”

“Not at all. And Ellen invited me for my first lesson on Wednesday. But there’s a problem.”

“Do pray tell.”

Lydia explained the conflict.

“What are you going to do?” Jenny asked as she bundled the pruned branches together for Lydia.

“I must change the appointment with Doctor Cooke. I was thinking of taking a note over to his office later. Want to accompany me? Then maybe I could treat you to that cream tea at Twistivants I promised you on the day I arrived.”

“Sounds splendid. When do you want to go?”

“Mid-afternoon?”

“I can do that. Stop by when you are ready to leave.”

* * *

Lydia and Jenny entered Doctor Cooke’s office, expecting to see patients waiting. Lydia had written a note to leave for the Doctor explaining the scheduling conflict and suggesting several alternate dates and times for their first walk.

But to their surprise the waiting room was empty. The Doctor called out from his consultation room, “Please come on in. I am not with a patient at the moment.

Lydia and Jenny peeked in through the door.

“It’s just us, Doctor Cooke. I was actually just going to leave this note for you.”

“Then deliver it to me right now. I am free for the time being.”

He stood up, smiling, and offered chairs to the two ladies.

“We don’t mean to disturb you,” Lydia said, as she offered him the envelope.

“Tell me what is in it. I would much rather hear bad news from your charming lips.”

“What makes you think it is bad news?”

“Unless you have an illness or an injury there is no reason to send me a note unless you need to cancel our walk on Wednesday. And if you were ill you would not write me, but would show up in my office or send your friend here to fetch me for a house call.”

Lydia had to laugh. “You are most instinctive. You could make a living as a gypsy fortune teller.”

“I think I would rather not.”

Lydia hung her head. “I am sorry to say that, yes, I must reschedule our walk for Wednesday.” She explained in detail her predicament.

“That is perfectly fine,” Reginald said. “What about the same time a week later? As I said, Wednesday is the day I am closed.”

“That would work perfectly.”

“Provided Miss Ellen does not snatch you away to go riding with her again,” the Doctor added.

“I shall deny her the pleasure, then,” Lydia said.

Reginald turned to Jenny. “Miss Lovell, how is your mother’s cough, has it cleared?”

“She is mending quite nicely and asked me to give you these.” Jenny reached into her basket and pulled out half a dozen eggs wrapped in a napkin.”

“How kind. Thank her for me.”

“Doctor Cooke, we are just headed to Twistivants for a cream tea. Since you have no patients would you care to join us?” Jenny brashly asked as Lydia was the one paying for the tea today.

“But I may still get a patient or two during the rest of the afternoon,” Reginald protested.

“Yes, do join us,” Lydia pleaded. “Just leave a note on your door and have them come and fetch you if need be.”

Reginald considered the offer. “Yes. Why not? It has been a slow day and Twistivants is just a few shops down from here. It would be nice to have a cream tea. However, I shall not allow myself to be your guest, and the two of you shall be my guests instead.”

“Absolutely not, Doctor. You have waived your fees for me twice and I insist you be our guest this afternoon. It is the very least I can do.”

Reginald nodded. “Very well. Then let me just write up a note for the door and we can be off.”

* * *

“You are not from this area, are you, Doctor Cooke?” Jenny asked as she slathered clotted cream on a scone before adding strawberry jam.

“I am from Baschurch—north and west of here—but I studied medicine in Shrewbury. And while I am not strictly a local, I am a Shropshire lad.”

“Any relation to the famous Captain Cook, who so gallantly sailed the wide Pacific Ocean?”

“Alas, no. I come from a more modest family that spells its name with an ‘e’ at the end, unlike the more famous Captain. My father was a local Doctor, and I followed in his footsteps.”

“And how did you end up in Upton Magna?” Lydia asked.

“There was a practice for sale from a retiring doctor. It suited me, so I accepted.”

“And you are happy here?” Jenny asked as she leaned in slightly closer to Reginald.

“I have a thriving practice; it is a pleasant town, and the citizens are most agreeable. However, the winters can be unpleasant, as you know. But they were where I grew up as well.” He laughed. “From my experience, there is no perfect place.”

“And no lady has caught your eye? Is it to be all work and no play for you?” Jenny pushed.

Reginald shot a quick glance to Lydia but turned back to answer Jenny. “I am sitting at a table right now, having tea, with two of the loveliest young ladies in Upton Magna. How could I ask for more?”

“You have a silver tongue, Doctor Cooke,” Jenny said smiling. “Are you a devil in disguise?”

“You may call me Reginald. And yes, I probably do have a little devil in me.”

“And you may call me Jenny.”

* * *

As Lydia and Jenny headed home, Lydia slapped lightly at Jenny’s arm.

“You were flirting with the poor man, outrageously,” Lydia said, laughing lightly.

“Was I? I did not notice.”

“How could you not have?”

“Well, I like him.” Then Jenny had a terrible thought. “Oh, Lydia, you are not jealous are you? I did not think you had any interest in him, except for walking. Am I horribly out of line?”

Lydia had to think about that. “I must admit; I do like him. But my thoughts have not gone much beyond our mutual interest in exercise. But I have to admit, it seems he has shown some marked interest in me.”

“Oh, Lydia, please forgive me. I will step back immediately. I would never encroach on my dearest sister’s romance.”

“Oh, Jenny, there is no romance.”

“But there could be. And as I think about it, it did seem that he was most attentive to you at tea. But you know me—always too brash, too loud, and too pushy. In future, I shall be the model friend. My only goal with Doctor Cooke shall be to sing your praises and direct his attention to your many charms.”

“I would much prefer it if you would just be yourself. I am quite content in letting my friendship with the Doctor take its natural course, with no expectations and no pushes or shoves from you.”